Grain-drier



E. M. WAHRENFELTZ. GRAIN'DRIER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE23,'|919.

1,360336, 1mm@ Nov. 30,1920.

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'E. M. WARRENFELTZ.

GRAIN DRIEH.

APPLlcATloN HLED JUNEzs, 1919.

. 1,360,336 Patented Nov. 30, 1920.

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fifa/'16% E. M.' WARRENFELTZ.

GRAIN DRIER.

APPLICATION FILED IuNEza. IsIs.

Patented Nov. 3 0, 1 920.

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Edward M UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD M. WARRENEELTZ, F IEUNKSTOW'N, MARYLAND., ASSIGNOR OF ONE- FOURTH T0 LEON R. YOURTEE, DF HAGERSTOWN, MARYLAND, AND ONE- FOURTH. TO CHARLES H. DENTLER, OF FUNKSTOWN, MARYLAND.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nav. 30, 1920.

Application led. .Tune 23, 1919. Serial No. 306,020.

To all whom it 'may concern:

Be it known that I. Enwann M. Wannenrnrfrz, citizen of the United States, residing at Funkstown, in the county of Washington and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grain- Driers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for drying grain such as wheat and the like and is especially designed for operation in connection with a washer adapted to wash foreign matter from the grain and to convey the washed grain to the drier, said washer forming the subject-matter of an application filed by me ofeven date herewith.

in object of this invention is to provide means for dischargingr the dried wheat from one end of the drier whenever undried wheat is fed into the drier.

A further object is to provide a drier with means for receiving undried wheat and for discharging dried wheat, the discharging means being adapted to be actuated by the weight of the undried wheat.

Another object is to provide an apparatus for drying wheat comprising means for feeding wet wheat into a drier, means for discharging dry wheat therefrom, means for actuating the feeding means, and means adapted to become operatively connected with the feeding means by the excessive weight of the wet wheat to cause the discharge of the dry wheat.

lVith the above and other objects in view this invention consists in certain novel features hereinafter described, a preferred embodiment whereof is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the said drawings:

Figure 1 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation of my improved apparatas;

Fig. 2 is a detail of one of the legs supporting the drier;

Fig. 3 is a central vertical section of the drier;

Fig. 4 is a detail section of a device for opening the bottom of the drier to discharge some of the contents thereof;

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of a gate which forms part of the dischargecontrolling means;

Figa-6 is a detail perspective of some of the parts shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the framework which controls the opening and closing of the gate; i

Fig. 8 is adetail bottom plan view.

Referring more particularly to the drawings for a detailed description of my invention, 9 is an inclined cylindrical casing supported at one end in a recess 10 of a base 1l and at the opposite end by brackets 12 upon a frame 13 mounted on the base, a pedestal 14 providing an intermediate support. The cylinder is provided with bearings for a shaft 15 and conveyer 16 is mounted on said shaft and surrounds the same in the form of a helix. The shaft 15 is supported at its lower end by a bearing bracket 18 on the base and is connected at its upper end by a universal joint 19 with a shaft 20. The shaft 20 is supported by bearings on the frame 13 and is equipped with a pulley 2l to be driven by a belt Q2. Below the casing 9 and, preferably, intermediate the pedestal lll and frame 13, is mounted a drier 23 which extends downwardly through the base 11 and is supported upon a base 24:. The drier does not rest directly upon the base but is mounted for relative vertical movement. Uponthe base are a plurality of sockets or hollow posts 25 having angular bores to receive plungers 26 of similar outline whereby the planu gers may move vertically but cannot rotate in the sockets. The intermediate portion of each plunger is threaded to receive an adjusting nut 27 which will rest upon the coperating socket. The upper extremity of the plunger is smooth,` as shown at 28, to play freely within a socket 29 rigid with and depending from the casingr or frame of the drier, while a spring 30 is housed within said socket between the base of the kprojecting laterally beyond the drier.

. brackets 4-2.

steam inlet pipe 33 and an exhaust 34, respectively. The lines are triangular in cross section, as shown in Fig. 3 and are arranged in staggered relation so that the grain will be deiiected from side to side and forced to follow a tortuous path in its descent through the drier. immediately below thelowest row oi `.dues and adjacent the spaces between the dues of said row, partitions 35 extend 'between the end'walls of the drier, all the partitions being inclined in the saine direction, as shown in Fig. 3. A gate 36 is pivotally supported below each vfof said dues and depends from its pivot to Vmeet the respectively'adJacent partition and each gate is provided at its V`free lower edge with a flange S'in which is an opening 38 to be engaged by an upstanding hook 39 on a bar 410 mounted below the partitions and gates for reciprocation and having one end A rod 4l is projected transversely through the gatesand partitionsand'is supported by @n the rod 4l between each gate and anopposite partition is mounted a coil spring l2 the tension of which may be adjusted by a nut i3 in an obvious manner. The wall ot' the drier, opposite the wall through which the bars d() project, is provided ywith an opening and supports a socket de around said opening. A plunger e5 plays through the endof the socket and is connected by the spring i6 therein with the rod 4l, being provided upon its outer end with an adjusting nut d?. Each ot the bars 40 is'connected with an arm 48 which is adapted to be operated by pins 49 on the Vtace of' the wheel `50 keyed on a sha-'it 51, the end of the bar 40 being provided with a longitudinal slot 52 toreceive the connecting bolt 53 carried by the arm i8 so that the throw of thebar may be adiusted. t will be noted that the arm L18 is curved to substantially conform to and rest upon the periphery of the wheel 50 which is grooved to prevent disengagement oi the arm from the wheel. 'On the shaft 5l is mounted pulley which is connected by belt 55 with a pulley 56 on the shaft 57 supported by bearings oit a 'frame 56, said traine being provided with 'knife edge fulcrums 59 and-60. The frame 58 is projected vertically throughl a frame 6l which iframe is pivotally supported by a. bar 62 having knife edges ulcrumed in the knife edge iiulcrum 59 of the traine 5S. r'he ltraine 58` is also projected through a frame 63 vsupported by a bar having knife edges ulcrumed in the knife edge fulcrum 6G. The sides or the *frames 6l and 63 are entended along the opposite walls of the drier land the 'tree ends are joined by rods 64?:

which are in sliding contact with the drier. A fra-ine 65 is mounted on the drier below the frame 63 and is supportedY by a leg 66, which leg is flexibly connected with the side 67 while the opposite side 68 is passed through the iainc 56. Vl`he sides (if) are provided with lugs TO for biacl-:ets Tl. ol' the 'frame 63 which are the counterpart ol' the lugs (39 andare pivotally connected with 'the latter by pins 72 slidingly projected through periioi'ations ol the lugs 6E) and brackets 7l. rlhe sha i't 57 is provided with a pulley 73 connected by a belt Tel; with a pulley 75 mounted on the shalt 'ld bracket Z6 is mounted ou the Vtraine o?, and bears against the side 6l) oi' the Traino (ai whence it projects outwardly`r the outwardly projecting portion being constructed wiih slots 77 to receive the ainis which are provided in their sides, at their upper ends. with notches or grooves 'T8 to be engaged h v the walls of said slots.

.fr trough 79 is suspended 'from the drin by bolts 60. The frames 5S and 6l are con nected by a spring- 8l. The grain is 'fed through a chute S2 into a tank S3 in which the foreign matter is washed troni the grain. the grain'being conveyed through the casing 9 to4 a chute Sli through which it is dis charged into the drier, the grain boing drained during` its transfer and the d iaina go flowing back into the tank which is provided with a drain pipe 65 to drain. into a receptacle 86, this portion ot the appai'al'us forinine' the subiect-niatter ot an amilication filed bv nieu-ot even date hermvith. The .grain descends through the spaces between the lues. sliding` vtroni om, `vow of fines to the next row along the inclined faces of the 'duos filling the drier and the spaces between the bottoni partitions and gates. The steam heats the fliies through which it circulates and the heat is given to act on the grain so that it will be thoroughly dried duringits descent in the drier. )is more and more rain is fed into the drier. the increased veight overcomes the tension ot the springs "6 and causes the drier to correspondingly droir the l aine 69 inov t with the drier and forcing Jthe traine 56 to descend which motion is Ltrausinilted and guided by the trames 6l and 6?). .is the 'frame 5S de see-nds. the belt T4: is tightened on the pulley u resulting in the iansmissiou oi power the shaft carryingsaid pulley and the ooit connect. ig the pulleyvv 56 with the pulley 5l so thatr the sliai't :il and the wheels 50 will rotate. |The pins ol the wheels 50 ride under the arms during the nieveinent oie said wheels and nl 'ce said arms inwaidlv so that the bars 1 'will be pushed against the tension oie the springs 12 to open the gates. permitting some oinv the grain to discharge into the trough The discharge oi some o? the grain reduces the weight on tio casing which will be thereupon inovod upwardly by the recovery o1? the supporting' springs, so that the belt 72 is loosened and the transmission oi? power to the shait CIS Die

5l ceases. The gates will be closed and will remain closed until the weight of the contained grain again overcomes the force of the supporting springs. v

lt will be observed that the leg 66 provides a fulcrum for the lixedly mounted frame 69 and causes it to force the vertical frame 58 downwardly to prevent the belt 7 2 from forcing the shaft 57 upwardly. The arms 48 are guided by the slots of the bracket 76 and when the wheels 50 are rotating and the pins 49 strike the arms they are prevented by said guides from bending side- 4wise and slipping oil' the pins.

lf so desired, a defiector 87 may be provided at the top of the drier to spread the incoming grain so that it will be distributed over the drying flues equally and this de flector may be stationary or oscillate as preferred. An outlet 88 for the moisture and vapor from the grain is provided atthe top of hopper for discharging grain therefrom,

said hopper comprising stationary sides and yieldably mounted gates normally adapted to prevent the discharge of grain, the gates being operable to open under an accumulation of grain.

2. The combination with a casing yieldably mounted for vertical movement, of spaced transverse drying fines mounted therein, a hopper under said casing, means for feeding grain through the casing and between the drying flues into the hopper, swinging gates controlling the flow from the casing to the hopper, yieldable means for holding the gates closed, means operatively connected with the feeding means to cause the gates to open, and means actuated by the movement of the casing to control said gate-opening means.

3. The combination with a drier, of means for feeding grain thereto, said drier provided with a bottom and gates to open said bottom, bars operatively connected with said gates and provided with arms,` means adapted to intermittently actuate said arms to cause the bars to open the gates, and means operatively connecting said actuating means with the feeding means.

4. A casing, means for feeding grain thereto, a hopper' for discharging grain therefrom, said hopper provided with a parallel Vseries of slanting walls, a gate to each slanting wall, said gates normally adapted to close for holding grain filling the spaces between the slanting walls and gates, and means to open the gates adapted for connection with the feeding means.

lon the drier, a leg pivotally connected with the frame at one side of the base, a frame provided with means to be actuated by the pivoted frame to operatively connect the feeding means with the discharging means.

7. A drier, means for feeding grain there to, means for discharging grain therefrom, a base, means yieldably supporting the drier above the base, means pivotally supporting the drier at one side of the base, a vertical `frame provided with means to operatively connect the feeding means with the discharging means, a frame movably mounted on the drier for guiding the vertical frame, and means yieldably connecting said frames.

8. A drier, means for feeding grain thereto, means for discharging grain therefrom, a base, means yieldably supporting the drier above the base, means pivotally supporting the drier at one side of the base, a vertical frame adjacent the drier above the side of the base opposite the pivotal support, a frame mounted on the drier adapted to guide the vertical frame and supported by bearings thereof, and means pivotally sup porting said lastmentioned frame intermediate the pivotal support and vertical frame.

9. A drier, means for feeding grain to be dried thereto, said drier provided with openings for discharging grain therefrom, yieldable means to close said openings, means to open the closing means, operating means adapted to actuate the opening means, and movable supporting means adapted to guide the opening means in position to be actuated by the operating means. y

l0. The combination of a vertically 1novable drier having a discharge opening at its lower end, a swinging gate mounted ad jacent and controlling the How through said opening, yieldable means for holding the gate normally closed, an opening bar disposed below and connected to the gate, an arm extending from said opening bar, a guide for said arm carried by the drier, a driving roller arranged to actuate said arm, and operating means for said roller controlled by the vertical movement of the drier.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

EDWARD M. WARRENFELTZ. [1a. 5.] 

